The World Trade Organization originated from a series of negotations that
took place between 1986 and 1994, called the Uruguay Round. The Doha
Development Agenda was launched in 2001 and remains an ongoing series of
negotiations.
The WTO is a forum for the world's governments to negotiate trade agreements,
settle trade disputes and create trade rules. The WTO also offers extensive
monitoring of existing trade systems. While the WTO helps nations to create
more open markets, it also acts as a protector of markets, enacting barriers
in certain cases, for instance to stop the spread of disease. Yet, the
overall aim of the WTO is to help trade flow as freely as possible.
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